“I like the way you look when you’re like that. It would be nice if you were a bit more open. In that sense, brown shoes would be good. Maybe dark brown for the laces, or no, cream-colored ones.
Madame once again immersed herself in her world. An aura that was beyond reach flowed from her as she concentrated on her work. It was similar to the feeling one gets when completely engrossed in swordsmanship, and Therid couldn’t bring himself to interrupt.
Time passed, and as the sun began to set, Madame instructed her attendants to tidy up the items in the bedroom. In the meantime, Therid’s complexion grew pale from all the stress. Madame looked at him and casually said,
“You must be tired today, so rest well and get a massage. I will come early tomorrow morning.”
“You’re coming again?”
“Of course. I haven’t even finished half of my work yet.”
“Wait, I don’t have enough money to employ someone like you for so long.”
“The payment has already been made, so don’t worry. And don’t worry about the results either. This is a matter of my pride. Do you know how many requests from influential figures I’ve turned down to help your debut in high society? If I fail this time, I’ll be ruined.”
Passion overflowed from Madame’s eyes. Therid wanted to say that it was already enough, but he didn’t want to interfere with her passion, so he nodded instead.
Then Madame received a piece of paper from her attendant and handed it to Therid.
“By the way, there’s something I would like you to do until the day before your debut. It’s for the perfect debut, so I hope you can cooperate. Is that okay?”
Therid lowered his gaze and looked at the paper. It contained Therid’s schedule and diet meticulously written.
From waking up to sleeping time, everything in between, including meals and snacks. The well-organized schedule made Therid’s fingertips tremble. His throat felt dry as if he had swallowed a hundred drops of blood.
“W-What is this?”
“Even now, Therid is perfect, but your meals are a bit irregular. And your sleeping time as well. If you keep this up, you’ll lose some of the puffiness and your figure will become even more beautiful.”
“Beautiful…”
“I usually don’t pay much attention to these things, but Therid is the subject that inspires me as a designer. Why, you look like a sculpture.”
As soon as he heard the word “sculpture” Therid’s cheeks flushed hot. He don’t know why, but he chuckled softly at the compliments he heard. ‘
“Ahem, thank you.'”
“Like finding a pearl in the mud, or discovering a treasure among the dull you. After this debut, everyone will envy me, and of course, you will be able to find a good companion as well. It will be beneficial for both of us. Will you cooperate?”
Therid nodded. It wasn’t difficult to live a disciplined life, follow a routine, and receive proper care. Moreover, he didn’t know if he would meet a beautiful fiancée after this. If she came from a noble family as Madame had mentioned, it could greatly benefit the Astita family. Unlike the current Count Astita, who still had lingering attachments to politics, Therid’s eyes sparkled.
“Alright, I’ll trust you.”
Madame willingly bowed her head and left the room.
* * *
My mother and I arrived in the capital. Initially, we planned to find separate accommodations, but Dianel objected.
“Finding a suitable place to stay in Huangdo at this time would be like finding a star in the sky. It’s better to stay in the north palace.”
We refused his suggestion once, but it turned out there was no place to stay at all. If we settled for a non-prestigious area, it would pose a safety issue.
Time was passing by, and I couldn’t leave my mother alone outside overnight, so we eventually went to the north palace. Dianel willingly provided us with accommodation there.
Just as we finished unpacking, a well-groomed man passed by the North Palace’s garden.
His golden hair was neatly styled and seemed so soft that it would melt if touched. His skin appeared flawless, untouched by any hardships. He had an average physique, but it was clear he had taken good care of himself, and his broad shoulders were impressive.
Above all, his clothes and noble demeanor made him look like a person of great dignity.
However, there was one fatal flaw about him. It was the iridescent fairy dust fluttering around him.
Even the ladies who conversed with him occasionally burst into laughter, finding it adorable.
‘To see Therid talking to a girl.’
My heart trembled, but this was an important matter concerning the position of Astita’s future mistress. I pretended not to see and averted my gaze.
“Still, he dressed quite nicely.”
It wasn’t something my brother could have accomplished alone. Was it Dianel’s help after all?
‘Whoever helped, as long as the result is splendid.’
I eased my worries a bit. Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, my mother approached me. She turned her head in the direction my gaze was focused on and widened her eyes as if she had seen something unexpected.
“Oh my, Therid has become a prince.”
“That’s right. I can’t believe it’s his sense, so who helped him?”
“Indeed, I’m curious too.”
Following my mother, my father entered. Even his attire followed the latest fashion that was difficult to obtain in Astita territory. As I discreetly fixed my gaze on his clothes, my father seemed to avoid my eyes strangely. Playing with the lace hanging from the sleeve’s end, his appearance seemed somewhat embarrassed.
“He said that Madame is someone sent by the Izbe noble ladies. They said it’s all thanks to your vision and virtue.”
“…Me?”
“Yeah, I heard that they owe you a favor.”
If skincare counts as a favor, then I suppose it is. I nodded silently. Then my mother seemed to remember something and changed the subject.
“Oh, by the way, I had something to tell you.”
“Something to tell me?”
“While we’re at the Palace, how about adding Siara to the family registry?”
I felt a bit nervous about the sudden topic. I glanced at my father, swallowing nervously. He looked at me for a moment and then nodded.
“If you want Siara, you can have her anytime.”
“Oh, of course, I want Siara.”
My mother added with a warm smile.
“It’s strange that Siara was removed from the family registry in the first place. Finally, the issue will be resolved.”
I quickly glanced at my father, expecting some resistance. I couldn’t quite understand why he would agree so easily.
‘Isn’t he uncomfortable with me being his daughter? Shouldn’t I be bothered by it?’
But contrary to my expectations, my father simply nodded silently. His obedient response was unexpected, so I asked him later when my mother was not around.
“Count, it’s okay if you don’t want to do it.”
Adding my name to the family registry would be beneficial for me, but there would be many things that the Astita family would have to endure. It was natural that my name would rise and fall in society, and I had no idea what kind of trouble would arise in the process. Besides, Therid was about to debut soon, so there was no need to cause unnecessary problems.
However, my father simply responded with indifference.
“I’m fine with it.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. I’ve always thought that if I had a daughter, she would be someone like you.”
“You’re accepting me as your family for that reason?”
“Strangely enough, I feel like it’s okay.”
He felt like it was okay, even though he didn’t know much about me. I wondered if my father also vaguely thought of me as his daughter, just like my mother did.
I pondered his words over and over again. My father patted my shoulder a couple of times as if comforting me with my worries. It was a gentle touch as if telling me not to worry.
Unfortunately, Therid happened to be climbing the stairs at that moment and overheard our conversation. He stood frozen for a moment.
‘Does Therid dislike it?’
If someone suddenly claimed to be family, even though they were a stranger, I would feel uncomfortable. So, I was willing to accept any complaints from him.
However, Therid only stiffened his expression for a moment and then walked past me, saying,
“So it’s come to this. Let’s do well from now on.”
“What more is there for me to do well with the Count?”
“…You don’t have to say anything.”
He looked at me as if he were in a bad mood, but then he quickly glanced around, as if something had come to mind. Then he leaned in close to my ear and whispered secretly.
“More importantly, do you know that the young mage who follows you around is an adult?”
“…Huh?”
“Yes, that one!”
It had already been revealed that Hierian was the administrator, it wasn’t strange anymore. I nodded, accepting it.
“Of course, I know.”
“…But you’re not concerned about how he often plays tricks on you?”
It might seem like he played tricks on me in a way.
‘But he’s Hierian…’
To me, Hierian was similar to Therid. Close as family. And somehow, I kept thinking about him. Maybe it was because he had experienced difficult things when he was young, so I felt more concerned about him. However, I couldn’t reveal all these trivial details, so I stumbled with my words and stopped.
“That’s just the way he is. Don’t worry about it.”
“It’s not just about the way he is! You’re an adult, and yet he tries to cling to you and sleep with you.”
“…That’s because his mental age is young.”
“Even though he’s been an administrator for a long time and his mental age is young? Ha, you have no idea how high the intellectual level of mages is.”
“Just because they’re smart doesn’t mean they’re adults.”
“…You.”
Therid looked at me as if he were amazed, then sighed deeply. Then he started talking to himself with a serious expression.
“Fine, whatever. If you don’t care, then I won’t bother. No, now that you’re going to be my little sister soon, it’s something I should care about.”
